Steve Bullman

TIMBERSPORTS® is back with a bang at the Royal Three Counties Show, Malvern from 14-16 June 2024. Three days of action-packed competition will see Britain’s top athletes compete against each other for the British crown, as well as the opportunity to represent their country at world level. Competition for places in the British Pro Championship taking place on Saturday 15 June is so high that the first ever qualifier will take place the Friday before. The top six athletes from 2023’s Championship have earned automatic qualification, whilst the remaining athletes from last year’s competition will go head-to-head with newcomers to decide who will take the final spots in the main event. The action doesn’t stop there with 12 rookies (athletes under 25) competing in the British Rookie Championship and 11 women vying for victory in the British Women’s Championship on Sunday 16 June. Fresh from finishing sixth at the World Rookie Championship in Milan, Jack Morris will be the one to beat in the Rookie Championship. Inspired by his older brother, Morris first competed in TIMBERSPORTS® in 2019 and his laser focus on fitness and training has seen him rise to the top of the British rookie ranks, where he finished first in 2022 and 2023. This will be Morris’s last year competing as a rookie as he moves up to the Pro level in 2025, and he’s aiming to finish on a high, but there will be plenty of other rookies with their eye on the podium so complacency is not an option. In the British Women’s Championship, it’s all to play for this year, with previous champions Justine Narusa (2023 winner) and Zoe Penlington (2022 winner) returning as well as some exciting new talent looking to shake things up. Libby Arrowsmith, the youngest competitor at just 17, has been focussed on a dedicated training regime and will be looking to better her third-place finish in 2023, whilst newcomer Rachel Ferrington, who has competed in many sports including jousting, is also looking to make her mark. The Pro Championship will be another hard-fought battle, but Glen Penlington will be hoping to hold off his rivals to make it a hat-trick of national titles, after he won in 2022 and 2023. But 2014 champion Rob Chatley is also eyeing the top prize. Both athletes are GB TIMBERSPORTS® trainers and share their expertise with the less-experienced athletes at regular training camps throughout the year, but once the competition starts it’s every man for himself, and they will both be looking to get maximum points in all six of the competition disciplines. Between them, they hold three of the six national records, so the competition will definitely be fierce, and is sure to deliver edge-of-your-seat action. The British Championship takes place from 14- 16 June at the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern. Tickets are available from the show website. The Pro, Women’s and Rookie Championships will also be livestreamed via the stihl TIMBERSPORTS® YouTube channel. stihl TIMBERSPORTS® British Championship British Pro Championship – Pro athletes must be able to compete in all six disciplines; the Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck, Underhand Chop, Springboard and Hot Saw. British Women’s Championship – Women compete in four of the disciplines: the Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck and Underhand Chop. British Rookie Championship – Rookies are athletes under the age of 25, who compete in four disciplines: the Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck and Underhand Chop.

The purchase of a GreenMech EVO 205D has brought additional strength and performance to the fleet of Norwich’s Crown Tree Services. Upsizing from a 6” road tow unit, Owner James Basey-Fisher has not only been impressed with the EVO’s ability to tackle all types of timber and brash, but also the service received from GreenMech and local dealers Thurlow Nunn Standen (TNS) since the delivery of the unit in early 2024. Established in 2015, Crown Tree Services offer the full range of tree surgery and arboricultural services to domestic and commercial customers in and around Norwich and Norfolk. “I’ve known Neal Hussey for a good few years, and upon joining GreenMech, he got in touch with me at a time when I was toying with upsizing and upgrading our primary road tow unit” James explains. “We had a demonstration of the 8” EVO 205D and were seriously impressed – it has outstanding pull and processing power and sits nicely behind the truck giving us a great set-up for work in residential areas.” The 205D extends the EVO concept of more powerful bite, torque and throughput. Its deep beam, high tensile steel chassis delivers tremendous strength and robust reliability, while the generous in-feed hopper ensures the free-flow of large brash and bulky material. “It complements our existing tracked woodchipper really well, and has become our go-to day-to-day machine for jobs that demand strength along with reliable power and performance.” “Another thing about the EVO is the ease of maintenance and servicing” he adds. “It’s clear that the design has the regular upkeep in mind. The chip chamber fully hinges open to allow good access to the flywheel, and things like the replacement of filters and changing between blade sets is simple with more space to work in.” On top of impressive performance, James has also been pleased with the support received from dealers TNS. “Communication has been brilliant throughout, everything from organising the demonstrations at convenient times to answering any and all of our questions! The aftercare in general has been second to none really. We rely on our equipment and need it running at its best, and knowing we have that level of support from TNS and GreenMech is a huge plus.”